Liverpool in talks over Emre Can

Liverpool are in talks with Bayer Leverkusen over Germany under-21 international Emre Can, a source told ESPN, as manager Brendan Rodgers continues with his summer rebuilding.

The Premier League runners-up, who are looking to bolster their squad as they prepare for a return to the Champions League, have been in negotiations with Leverkusen about Can, 20, and confirmed on Thursday that a fee and personal terms have been agreed.

Can scored four goals in 39 appearances for Leverkusen last season after signing from Bayern Munich, and was managed by former Liverpool defender Sami Hyypia for much of his time at the BayArena.

Bayern have a buy-back clause for the player, but German publications kicker and Bild have both reported that Leverkusen are free to sell him to a club in another country under the terms of his contract. Express and Bild both report that he has a release clause set in the region of 12 million euros.

Can has played for Germany at every youth level and first made his mark at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Mexico three years ago, with the team's coach, Steffen Freund, lauding the Frankfurt-born midfielder.

"Emre is the most complete under-17 player I have seen in my entire career, and I have seen many," Freund said. "He has what it takes to make it to the top."

While there are still question marks over his distribution, Can has proved highly adaptable, operating at left-back as well as in holding midfield, and he drew praise for his performances as Leverkusen overcame a mid-season crisis to secure fourth place in the Bundesliga.